Guidance on the Statewide Reverse Transfer Articulation Agreement Between the Florida College System and the State University System of Florida
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GUIDANCE ON THE STATEWIDE REVERSE TRANSFER ARTICULATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE FLORIDA COLLEGE SYSTEM AND THE STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF FLORIDA UPDATED MAY 2021 Guidance on the Statewide Reverse Transfer Articulation Agreement between the Florida College System and the State University System of Florida ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Office of Articulation gratefully acknowledges the Florida College System Foundation, Inc. for its work to create the Reverse Transfer Toolkit for Colleges and Universities (2015). We also want to recognize our State University System and Florida College System partners for their tireless efforts to maximize access and provide seamless articulation for Florida’s students. PREFERRED CITATION Guidance on the Statewide Reverse Transfer Articulation Agreement between the Florida College System and the State University System of Florida (March 2021). Tallahassee, FL: Florida Department of Education. COPYRIGHT 2021 © Florida Department of Education This document contains website addresses for information created and maintained by other public and private organizations, which are provided for the reader’s convenience. The Florida Department of Education does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of this outside information. Further, the inclusion of information or addresses, or websites for particular items does not reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse any views expressed, or products or services offered. For questions about this guidance, please contact the Office of Articulation at [email protected] or 850-245-0427. TABLE OF CONTENTS WHAT IS REVERSE TRANSFER? .................................................................................... 2 A STATEMENT OF PHILOSOPHY AND INTENT ......................................................... 3 STATEWIDE REVERSE TRANSFER ARTICULATION AGREEMENT WITH GUIDANCE .. 4 REVERSE TRANSFER STUDENT PATHWAY: FLORIDA COLLEGE SYSTEM THROUGH STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM ......................................................................................... 13 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ............................................................................... 14 PARTICIPATING FLORIDA COLLEGE SYSTEM INSTITUTIONS ..................................... 15 PARTICIPATING STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM INSTITUTIONS ...................................... 15 RESOURCES .................................................................................................................. 16 1 Guidance on the Statewide Reverse Transfer Articulation Agreement between the Florida College System and the State University System of Florida WHAT IS REVERSE TRANSFER? Reverse transfer is the process by which a student is awarded an associate degree after transferring to and completing degree requirements at a four-year institution (Anderson, 2015). The Statewide Articulation Agreement, established by Section (s.) 1007.23, Florida Statutes (F.S.), requires that “(T)he State Board of Education and the Board of Governors shall enter into a statewide articulation agreement which the State Board of Education shall adopt by rule” to preserve Florida’s 2+2 system of articulation. To facilitate the seamless articulation of student credit between Florida’s public postsecondary institutions, s. 1007.23, F.S., was amended by the 2019 Florida Legislature to include the stipulation that the statewide articulation agreement must include a provision for reverse transfer. See excerpt from s. 1007.23(8), F.S. below. “(8) The articulation agreement must specifically provide for a reverse transfer agreement for Florida College System associate in arts degree- seeking students who transfer to a state university before earning an associate in arts degree. Students must be awarded an associate in arts degree by the Florida College System institution upon completion of degree requirements at the state university if the student earned more than 30 credit hours toward the associate in arts degree from the Florida College System institution. State universities must identify each student who has completed requirements for the associate in arts degree and, upon consent of the student, transfer credits earned at the state university back to the Florida College System institution so that the associate in arts degree may be awarded by the Florida College System institution.” In 2021, the State Board of Education and the Board of Governors adopted the Statewide Reverse Transfer Articulation Agreement between the Florida College System and The State University System of Florida. This document is intended to provide guidance to Florida’s public postsecondary institutions related to implementation of the Statewide Reverse Transfer Articulation Agreement between the Florida College System and The State University System of Florida. 2 Guidance on the Statewide Reverse Transfer Articulation Agreement between the Florida College System and the State University System of Florida STATEWIDE REVERSE TRANSFER ARTICULATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE FLORIDA COLLEGE SYSTEM AND THE STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF FLORIDA A Statement of Philosophy and Intent The State of Florida, long a national leader in higher education, has given broad policy directions to the system of postsecondary education with regard to articulation between and among two- and four-year institutions. Section 1007.23, Florida Statutes, provides for the Board of Governors and the State Board of Education to enter into a statewide articulation agreement to establish an effective and orderly transfer process for students entering a Florida college, transferring to a state university and completing an associate in arts degree. The State University System (SUS) is established in Article IX, section 7 of the Florida Constitution with a purpose of achieving excellence through teaching students, advancing research, and providing public service for the benefit of Florida’s citizens, their communities and economies. Its 12 member institutions are identified in section 1000.21, Florida Statutes. The Board of Governors governs the SUS, and boards of trustees administer each university (“SUS institution”). The Florida College System (FCS) is established in Article IX, section 8 of the Florida Constitution with a purpose of providing access to undergraduate education; to originate articulated pathways to a baccalaureate degree; to ensure superior commitment to teaching and learning; and to respond quickly and efficiently to meet the demand of communities. Its 28 member institutions are identified in section 1000.21, Florida Statutes. The State Board of Education supervises the state college system, and district boards of trustees govern each college (“FCS institution”). The purpose of this reverse transfer articulation agreement is to set forth the conditions regarding statewide reverse transfer between the SUS and the FCS, and to provide the procedures whereby member institutions of the FCS and SUS must participate. It is intended to increase the options available for students enrolled at an SUS institution who have transferred credit from an FCS institution to earn an associate in arts degree from their former college. 3 Guidance on the Statewide Reverse Transfer Articulation Agreement between the Florida College System and the State University System of Florida STATEWIDE REVERSE TRANSFER ARTICULATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE FLORIDA COLLEGE SYSTEM AND THE STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF FLORIDA I. PURPOSE The purpose of this Agreement is to facilitate the implementation of reverse transfer to assist former FCS students who have transferred to a SUS institution to complete an associate in arts (AA) degree at an FCS institution. The Agreement applies to SUS students who have completed more than 30 credits at an FCS institution but who transferred to an SUS institution before earning an AA degree. II. GOVERNANCE AND COMPLIANCE A. Pursuant to s. 1007.23, Statewide articulation agreement: “The [statewide] articulation agreement must specifically provide for a reverse transfer agreement for Florida College System associate in arts degree-seeking students who transfer to a state university before earning an associate in arts degree. Students must be awarded an associate in arts degree by the Florida College System institution upon completion of degree requirements at the state university if the student earned more than 30 credit hours toward the associate in arts degree from the Florida College System institution. State universities must identify each student who has completed requirements for the associate in arts degree and, upon consent of the student, transfer credits earned at the state university back to the Florida College System institution so that the associate in arts degree may be awarded by the Florida College System institution.” B. SUS institutions must comply with Board of Governors Regulation 8.007, Articulation, which addresses reverse transfer. Specifically: “(3) (g)(2) Associate in arts degree awarded to FCS transfer students by the awarding FCS institution through the reverse transfer to credit earned at the SUS institution: 4 Guidance on the Statewide Reverse Transfer Articulation Agreement between the Florida College System and the State University System of Florida a. SUS students who transfer more than 30 semester hours from a single FCS institution are notified about being eligible to receive an AA degree at their home FCS institution if the student has earned at least a combined total of 60 semester hours, including the 30 or